


Secret Saint Valentine

by Pale Rider (Boothros)



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:06:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4032886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boothros/pseuds/Pale%20Rider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by a set of photographs, I wrote a little bit of totally sickly sweet old school pre slash</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Saint Valentine

No one had ever suggested that being a CI5 operative would be easy.

Though sometimes taken with poor grace, it was accepted by all that the normalities of everyday life would often pass an agent by. Many could remember years when even Christmas itself would be forgotten if they were engaged in the madness of an op.

So it came to be that when times were quiet and England safe, they would party hard and celebrate whatever occasion chose to present itself.

After an uneventful December and January with no losses, it was a gawky girl from the typing pool who came up with the idea of The Secret Saint Valentine. Though Janice was pleasant enough, Doyle secretly wondered if her much publicised project was simply a desperate attempt to acquire some cards for herself. He later chided himself for his thoughts wondering if that sort of attitude was responsible for his own lack of Valentine’s treats in the past.

It was a simple enough set up. Everyone was required to address a card to the object of their hearts desire and put it into the crude ‘post box’, a large cardboard monstrosity which had been covered in red wrappings with a slit cut in its top. The only rule was that cards must not be signed with the sender’s name.

Bodie thought it a splendid idea and gleaned endless amusement witnessing the surreptitious visits to the quiet copying room where the post box resided. Doyle thought the whole thing rather unkind, certainly exciting for those that were bound to be blessed with an armload of cards, but depressing for those that might be left without. Tiring of the plan, he simply forgot about it.

It was a week later when picking up his copy of ‘The Guardian’ that Doyle spotted the simple card. It wasn’t pink and flouncy like those around it, but a gentle silvery blue with a simple quote on the front. Without thinking much, he grabbed it, added a packet of Juicy Fruit to his small hoard and paid the newsagent.

For days afterwards, Doyle castigated himself for his purchase. In the end it took the best part of a bottle of whisky for him to build the nerve to carry out his plan and the next morning, he posted the card with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The great day arrived and as many personnel as were available attended to see the opening of the secret Saint Valentines box. Janice was thrilled with her post as organizer and delighted with her three cards. There was a general feeling of bonhomie as the Shloer was shared about, but Doyle simply felt sick.

Bodie as Doyle had expected, was the recipient of a mass of romantic greetings and totally in his element. The second envelope that he opened in front of everyone reeked so much of ‘Charley’ that he offered to it to Anson as a conciliation prize.

Bodie fingered the fourth envelope carefully. It was not the rose or candy pink of the others, but a plain white. He gently broke the seal and withdrew the card that quoted on its cover,

   

Inside the card was a single written cross and a photograph. Bodie paled when he looked at it and rushed from the room. Doyle’s heart lurched and his stomach sank once again.

They had been at the end of an op. Tired, hungry and dreaming of home they had cleared up their gear from the patch of wasteland on which they had stopped. Even at five in the evening the sun was so hot that even the local wildlife was being daft. A pretty butterfly seemed more than happy to make friends of them, landing on them in turn enough times to turn their initial amusement into amazement. The Zenith had a completely unused roll of film and Doyle had started to fire off shots. Eventually they both started snapping away and even drew in a passer-by to take some pictures for them.

By enclosing the picture, Doyle had left Bodie in no doubt as to who had sent the card. Accepting the inevitable, he went in search of his partner. He found him as expected in the small corner that they laughingly called their office.

Bodie was faced away from him with his hands in his pockets. Though Doyle’s arrival had been silent, the quicksilver in their veins alerted them both to each others presence.

“I wasn’t as brave as you. I never posted mine.”

Doyle stared at the white envelope that Bodie suddenly produced before him. His fingers shook as he opened it and it produced a mirror image of the card he’d put in the post box. A similar picture fell out and Doyle gasped.

“It was quite a nice afternoon, wasn’t it, Sunshine?”

“Yes it was, I didn’t know if you remembered it. I thought you would hate me.”

“Ray, I hope the card might tell you that I don’t hate you, but in case you are in any doubt, I can assure you that I love you very much.”

“What in a brotherly, partnership kind of way…?”

“No! In a desirable, want to kiss your beautiful body all over sort of way.”

“Oh my God! I thought I’d lose you but I couldn’t help from telling you how I felt any longer.”

“Well that’s Okay then!” said Bodie leaning in for their first ever kiss.

Ten minutes later, they chose to leave their perfumed cubby hole for a lifetime of Valentines Days together.

 

 


End file.
